Design mold for treating fur



Sept. 14, 1948.

A. L. FOSTER DESIGN-MOLD FOR TREATING FUR tu' G--fzz A. LEONARD FOSTER INVENToR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 14, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DESIGN MOLD FOR TREATING FUR YArnold Leonard-Foster, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application August 13, 1946, Serial No. 690,290

This invention relates to a design-mold and method for curling and treating the hair side of a fur skin to change the appearance of the hair on theskin to simulate the natural character and design of Persian lambfur.

An object of this invention is to provide a heated metallic design-mold having specially designed cavities, each of the cavities having a substantially vertical curl-initiating wall element and an inclined curl finishing wall element, and wherein the developed length crosswise of each of the cavities is less Vthan one-half the length of the hair.

When the' design-mold is applied to the fur skin, the hair that is positioned locally in superposition With one of the curl initiating vertical wall elements follows the vertical wall element, where a curling motion of the hair is initiated. The hair follows the direction of the vertical wall element into the cavity 'and then follows the inclined wall element of the cavity where the curl of the hair is finished.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described, and the combination and arrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in cross-section, of the design impressing mechanism showing a fragmentary portion of the cavities, the section being taken as on line I-I in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a bottom view cf the mechanism, showing a portion of the cavities in the designmold.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the electrical connections of the design-mold.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral I indicates a design impressing mechanism comprising a design-mold II' which is detachably secured to a housing I2 by means of dowel pins I3 at opposite ends of the designmold. Screws I4 threaded in the housing I2 may be wedged against the dowel pins I3 and secure the design-mold II in unitary relation with the housing I2 The housing I2 has a base plate I5 and provides a cavity IS in which is an electrical heating element I'I. The heating element is held down by a hold-down plate I8 which lls the cavity I6.

The hold-down plate I 8 has a thermostat I9 1 Claim. (Cl. 69-20) secured thereto'by screws 20. The thermostat has an adjustable control 2I. The housing I2 also carries two plug-in electrical connectors '22, 22. Suitablysecured to the housing I2 is a cover 24 in the interior of which is placed heat insulating material (not shown). A handle 25 is attached to the cover 24 by a U-shaped member 26.

The design-mold II is made of a thick metal casting providing substantially deep cavities 21 which are used when the furskin has long hair. The cavities are positioned lin angular relation to each other. Each cavity 21 has a substantially vertical :curl-initiating wall element 28 and an inclined curl-finishing Wall element 29. The tightness, length, width, and character of the hair curls are dependent on the depth, width, and length'of the cavities.

It i-s to be noted that the developed length of the crosswise extent of the wall surfaces of each of the cavities is less than one-half the length of the hair being curled.

While `.the developed length crosswise of the respective cavities differ, in general, this length is made so the average length of hair on a fur skin will find room in the respective cavities in which to curl so as to produce tight curls in some cavities and loose curls in other cavities thus simulating the natural character of a Persian fur skin wherein the tightness of adjoining curls differs.

In practice, the design-mold IIA has cavities which are contained within a metal casting II which is about one-half inch thick. This thickness permits substantially deep cavities to be formed therein.

In practice, it is found that when the impressed design-mold is kept in contact with the fur skin for a period of three to five seconds that permanency of the curls is established.

For the purpose of visualizing the degree of heat applied to the fur skin I provide a dial 3| xed to the top of the cover 24 and a pointer 32 fixed to the rotatable control knob '2I It is also to be noted that the design-mold II has a non-planar outer fur contacting surface 30.

The design-molds are made in simulation of the natural designs on fur skins.

The natural design of a fur skin may be changed to any other design by the application of the heated design-mold herewith disclosed.

A piece of fur, a fur skin, or various types of material without any design, may have a design impressed thereon by the application of a heated design-mold herewith disclosed.

The design-mold may be used in various stages,

i. e., on a raw skin, on a nished skin, on an unfinished or on a finished fur coat.

Each design-mold is connected to a housing heated by gas, electricity or steam that is thermostatically controlled.

Machines may be made for factory processing, :such as a machine for a complete sleeve, or for 'the front of a coat, or for the left or right side of fa coat, or for the back of a coat, or for collars and ycuis, etc. Each of these machines arev to have ydesign-molds which are interchangeable with 'other design-molds for forming various designs :and patterns.

In operation, a design-mold having the specially shaped cavities herewith disclosed is moved vertically into operating position on the hair side of the fur skin. It is to be noted that Athe design-mold is irst heated to the required `temperature for` the particular skin under treatment.

The design-mold is maintained in impressing 'engagement with the fur for varying periods of time and until the hairs have been set in perinanent position by the cavities in the heated designmold.

Occasionally, the upper or hair side of the fur skin is made wet with water or wet steam before being impressed by the hot design-mold.

When the impressing operation is continued for a length of time, steam is generated between the skin side of the fur and the face of the heated design-mold.

The heated design-mold when impressed upon the fur, causes the hair to rise and form itself into a curl by following the angular sides oi' the I cavities in the design-mold.

The design-mold serves to re-set the natural curls of Persian lamb and other fur skins that have lost their natural curl, shape, and character through processing, Washing, blending, dyeing and handling, etc. It imparts a permanent set to the hairs curled Within the cavities of the design-mold. The design-mold forms or reforms,

curls or recurls the natural character and design of the fur skin.

By the application of a lacquer spray to the recurled hair and then flat-pressing the design curls, permanency and a sheen is imparted to the hair of the fur skin.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made therein Without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened by the appended claim.

I claim:

In a heated metallic design-mold for curling the hair on fur, said mold having cavities defined by arcuate contours simulating the contours of the curls of hair on natural furs, said mold having a non-planar outer fur contacting surface, the developed length crosswise of each of said cavities being less than one-half the length of said hair, the surfaces defining said mold cavities causing the heat to be transmitted directly to said hair along their entire length, thereby causing said hair to curl in a direction crosswise of said cavities, each of said cavities having a substantially vertical curl-initiating wall element and an inclined curl finishing wall element.

A. LEONARD FOSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,699,977 Lazow Jan. 22, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number' Country Date 14,111 Great Britain 1903 274,423 Great Britain Mar. 1, 1928 

